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Asia shares edge up, Japan cautions on yen weak point

Asian shares inched greater on Monday as investors hoped U.S. inflation data this week would not thwart the outlook for lower interest rates, while the risk of currency intervention from Japan stalled the yen's decrease for the minute.

The U.S. core personal usage expenditure (PCE) cost index is seen rising 0.3% in February, which would keep the annual rate at 2.8%. Anything greater would be taken as an obstacle to expect a Federal Reserve rate cut in June.

Many markets are closed for Easter on Friday, when the PCE data is due for release, so the complete reaction will need to wait until next week.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell was adequately dovish last week to leave futures suggesting around a 74% possibility of a June easing, up from 55% a week previously.

Powell will take part in a moderated conversation at a. policy conference on Friday, while Fed governors Lisa Cook and. Christopher Waller are also appearing today.

Europe has its own inflation tests with consumer cost data. out from France, Italy, Belgium and Spain, ahead of the general. EU CPI report on April 3.

Sweden's reserve bank satisfies on Wednesday and is generally. anticipated to keep rates at 4.0%, though a surprise relieving by the. Swiss National Bank (SNB) last week has markets preparing for a. dovish statement.

Expectations for falling borrowing expenses globally has actually been a. benefit for equities, with the S&P 500 up practically 10% for the year. to date. Early Monday, S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures. were trading bit altered.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan. edged up 0.1%, to simply listed below eight-month highs.

Japan's Nikkei dipped 0.4%, having spiked 5.6% last. week to a fresh all-time peak as the yen damaged.

While the Fed sounded dovish last week, it was barely alone,. with the Swiss central bank (SNB) actually cutting rates while. the Bank of England (BoE) and European Central Bank (ECB) left. markets trying to find easings from June onwards.

Individuals's Bank of China (PBOC) likewise amazed markets on. Friday by letting the yuan fall past 7.2 per dollar. to four-month lows in the middle of talk it was set to ease policy further.

JAPAN JAWBONES THE YEN

We believe the dollar's rebound reflects the more clearly. dovish position of other major reserve banks-- in specific the. SNB and the BoE, said Jonas Goltermann, deputy chief markets. economic expert at Capital Economics.

The PBOC's apparent choice to let the renminbi deteriorate. greatly has actually added to the general dollar-positive tone, he. included. Overall, the greenback heads into the Easter vacation. duration strongly on the front foot, and continued strong U.S. financial data is likely to keep it that method.

Even a shift away from super-easy policies by the Bank of. Japan (BOJ) could not dent the dollar, as investors assumed it. was not the start of a series of walkings and futures suggest a rate. of simply 20 basis points by year end.

On Monday, the dollar was holding at 151.30 yen,. having climbed up 1.6% recently to a peak of 151.86. Markets are. wary of screening 152.00 as that is a level that has drawn. Japanese intervention in the past.

Japan's leading currency authorities on Monday warned the. yen's current weak point did not show fundamentals and. extreme relocations were undesirable.

The euro was pinned at $1.0808, having been. dragged down in the wake of the Swiss franc after the. SNB's shock rate cut.

The strength of the dollar took some shine off gold which. stood at $2,168 an ounce, after striking a record peak of. $ 2,217.79 last week.

Oil rates were underpinned by Ukraine's attacks on Russian. refineries, along with information showing a fall in U.S. rig counts.

Brent increased 21 cents to $85.64 a barrel, while U.S. unrefined edged up 23 cents to $80.86 per barrel.

(source: Reuters)